A:

This is our second attempt to do our entry for Nov 10th and 11th after it disappeared on my watch last night as I was posting it - 2 or 2.5 hours work, enjoyable as it is, down the drain! This time we are doing it in a word document and will then transfer it to the blog.

We used our wonderful Roma passes to gain entry into the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum on Thursday morning, and then for entry to the Museum of Rome that afternoon.

We walked the 20-25 minutes to the Colosseum sidestepping the motorists who don't notice crossings, and then the touts and "Gladiators" keen to earn a quick buck with a photo, and got into the Colosseum soon after it opened at 8.30. (M: One of our close encounters was so close that I practically had to push a so called Smart Car out of the way. Car may have been smart. Driver????)

Perhaps it was because we were so early, and perhaps because of the time of year but the long line to get in that the guide books warned about did not eventuate, and neither did the wait for security.

M:

On the way out, though, as Anne joined what seemed to be 600 women queuing for the three available toilets - actually the men's while the women's were under repair - the auguries of crowds seemed far more realistic. The men had portaloos - at least 8 of them. Go figure.

A:

We used our downloaded Rick Steves audio guide once more for this (and the Forum later), successfully avoiding further lines and the additional expense.

What a structure the Colosseum is. And to think that it was constructed for the slaughter of untold numbers of animals and humans for the amusement of the people of Rome. All manner of animals were used, not just lions. You can see the underground chambers as the flooring has gone and this is where the victims were prepared before having to go up onto the stage area. There was an elaborate set of pulleys and ropes that were used to haul the animals up. The Colosseum could seat a huge number of people who then exited via vomitoria. These are actually the passageways in a theatre that allow people to exit quickly. (M: And I always thought they were special rooms to make more space for further eating - a common myth apparently!) As there were 80 of them around the circumference of the Colosseum, the place could be emptied of its 50000 people in about 15 minutes apparently. The Vestal virgins sat in prime seats as did the noblemen, and of course the poorer men (and women) had to sit in the bleachers.

From inside we had a great view around the outside and could see the "Gladiators" tempting customers. One was standing there smoking! (M: A noble tradition upheld by today's law enforcement.)

After an apple in the shade, we headed to Palatine Hill which is where Romulus and Remus are said to have been found by a she- wolf, and where later Romulus chose to build the city of Rome. Wealthy locals built their mansions there as it was a prime location. Today there is not much to see but it is a nice place to relax. We went on from there to the Forum which was the cultural and business centre of Rome and walked on the actual cobbles where Julius Caesar walked.

M:

We are pleased to report that our visit to the Forum ended less spectacularly than Caesar's. No sign of Brutus anywhere. For a different take on the whole event, have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR_5h8CzRcI (Wayne and Shuster, Rinse the Blood off my Toga).

A:

We saw what is left of Caesar's home, and also the home of the six Vestal virgins whose job was to keep the eternal flame lit. (M: "Whiter Shade of Pale" had 16 of them. That's inflation for you!) These girls were chosen around age 6- 10 from the upper classes and were then committed to this life, and to celibacy, for 30 years. If they were found wanting (M: ie forgot the meaning of the second part of their title!) they were buried alive as it was not permitted to spill their blood, and their male companions executed. You can still see the remains of elegant statues around the garden and ponds of their home.

We returned to the flat for lunch with a stop for coffee en route - there was a nun in this cafe so we figured it would be fine (M: at least on price!).

M:

We managed to fit in a quick visit to the supermercato where, among our purchases were a bottle of Sangiovese and another of Chianti for a total of less than 10 euro.

A:

After a bit of a post prandial break, it was a quick three or so minutes to the museum of Rome which is housed in a Baroque Palazzo near the Piazza Navona. It contains paintings and sculptures charting the history of Rome from the middle ages to the early twentieth century. After soaking up as much of this as we could (M: lots of portraits of eminent ecclesiastics, but also some fabulous paintings by a guy called Caffi of Roman sites. One among the pictures in the album) we strolled through the Piazza Navona on the way back. It is just stunning at night with the fountains and soft lighting, and musicians and artists plying their trades. (Including our friends of the day before - the Happy Gypsies) No wonder lots of people are about at night in Rome!

M:

On return, I rang to book an appointment for a visit at the Galleria Borghese on Friday, reputed to be among the finest such collections in the world. Having carefully selected the English number, I was answered - and replied in Italian. (A: And a fine job he did of it too!)

A:

On Friday morning we set off for Castel Sant' Angelo which is near the Vatican and so about 20 minutes walk. Like yesterday it was a beautiful, fine day. We used our Roma passes again for a reduction in the entrance fee. This imposing structure was built between 123 AD and 139 AD as the grave for Emperor Publio Elio Adriano, and as a tomb for subsequent emperors - for the next 80 years. It was renamed by Pope Gregory the Great (590- 604) because of the legendary miraculous apparition of the Archangel (M: Michael of course!) on the top of the building, putting an end to a terrible plague.

M:

The Castel Sant'Angelo is, like many Roman buildings an extraordinary mix of Roman and Renaissance. The period between the fall of the Empire and the end of the dark ages seems to have been occupied in Rome by dismantling and burying the glory of the Republic and the Empire. You can see why this building captured Dan Brown's imagination and why it was used as the Assassins' lair in "Angels and Demons", with its helical tunnel and its many apartments. The fanciest of these were the rooms established by Paul III - all the hallmarks of a bachelor pad with much better interior decoration. The words sumptuous, opulent, overblown and extravagant come to mind. All this when you could see home and the office from the windows!

From here we took another quick look at St Peter's Basilica. We had half a mind to go in, but the length of the lines, the security checks, and the fact that I had a penknife in my bag (to cut the apple, officers!) decided us to come back another day. The whole of the square seems to be possessed by touts, tour groups and clerics. The first of these three groups are the worst. After a time I was tempted to find a new use for the penknife. I withstood the temptation.

The religious and clerics who abound seem to fall into two major groups (which overlap at times) - those from developing countries and those under the age of thirty. It worries me what kind of formation these younger priests in particular are getting in a microcosm in which doubt has no place. The parallels to the decline of an earlier Roma empire are somewhat striking - the increasing dependence on "overseas" Romans, the denial, the shrinking at the boundaries. Basta (enough!)

A: On the way back we found what has become, at least to date, our favourite café haunt - Caffe al Banchi Vechhi on Via Banchi Vechi. To get there we need to follow Via Pellegrini (Pilgrim's Road) from the Campo Di Fiori all the way to Via Banchi Vechi. We got pleasant service and a lovely coffee and a pasta each for 4 Euros- while seated! We will be back. The place was buzzing with locals coming in for a coffee and pasta/ cake/ panino while standing.

We had an early lunch because we needed to get to the Galleria Borghese for our appointment by 2.30. They apparently let in 360 people for each 2 hour slot, 4 times each day. We had worked out that we could get there on a single bus, which turned out to be a little electric one, and used our Roma pass for (zero) payment. The driver sat back with one foot on the dashboard (no clutch - electric) and nonchalantly steered the bus (maximum capacity about 12 seated and 6 standing) through seemingly impossible lanes. At one point he took his foot off the dash, turned to a shrine in the wall of a building we were passing, crossed himself and drove through the next red light. Proof of the power of prayer, perhaps?

The Borghese lived up to its reputation. It holds mainly 16th and 17th Century paintings along with a mix of classical and renaissance sculpture. For me at least, the highlight was the sculpture by Bernini of Apollo chasing Daphne. It captures the moment when Daphne begins to be transformed into a tree to save her from Apollo's unwanted attentions. Someone described the piece as more air than stone, and it certainly has an incredible lightness to it. When it comes down to it, though, I was more impressed by the facial expression on Bernini's David, in the same collection, capturing the intense concentration before he uses his sling.

The return trip on the bus was worth far more than the euro our Roma Pass saved. The first complication was that the point at which we got off for the gallery was actually a U-turn for the bus, but it was not yet at its terminus. We thought we might just get on and go the remaining few stops and then back on the same bus. When we got to the terminus, it was clear another bus would go sooner, so we changed buses, and sat down next to an elderly Italian gent who was sharing his lack of satisfaction with the buses with a couple of others who gave up and left, but our friend explained to me that the driver was taking his own time, chatting (even though he also told us that the bus wouldn't leave until 20 to the hour). He signaled what he thought should happen by making scissoring motions on his tongue!

We did leave as he anticipated at 20 to, and after sharing his wisdom with the driver through the floor to ceiling screen that said don't communicate with the driver, he turned his attention to amusing a couple of kids with animal noises.

The return trip didn't use the same stops (one way streets) but we made our way home successfully for an evening of domestic bliss.